1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to games, and more particularly to various embodiments of a competitive board game for multiple players that requires players to solve a crossword puzzle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Crossword puzzles are among the most popular word games generally played alone by an individual. In addition, many derivations of the crossword puzzle or other word games have been developed to accommodate multiple players. Some of these games require players to obtain letter markers as a prerequisite before solving a clue. Letters must be obtained by traveling along paths using playing pieces or by answering questions prior to acquiring the playing pieces. Points are generally awarded based on a value designated for the letter or the locations of such letters on a game board. At times, games end prematurely because a stalemate is reached due to difficulty in answering clues or when all letter markers have been used, e.g., Scrabble®. Many of these games do not provide a means by which a stalemate is thwarted so that the game can be finished, for example, by revealing certain letters. Also, some games based on crossword puzzles display all the clues for the puzzle to all players, making it difficult for players of different skill levels to have an equal chance at solving clues to the puzzle. When all clues are displayed at once, rather than being selectively displayed, players are prevented from strategically solving clues on the crossword puzzle to obtain the highest points possible for solving the clues.
A crossword puzzle game is therefore desired that can be played by individuals having varying skill levels, with the game always being solved based on hints obtained progressively throughout the game, and wherein clues are selectively revealed to individual players, thereby allowing the players to strategically solve individual words based on the prospect of obtaining the highest possible point value for the word being solved.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,055,159, issued to Scofield on Sep. 22, 1936, describes a game apparatus based on a crossword puzzle. The game has sets of colored letter-bearing blocks that will be used by players to construct words. The person with the greatest number of correct words or colored blocks at the end wins.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,753, issued to Miller on Mar. 23, 1965, describes a crossword puzzle. The puzzle comprises a pegboard that requires letter pieces to be inserted into the peg holes of the pegboard and arranged on the board to solve the puzzle. The letter pieces may have irregular shapes creating an extra hurdle that must be overcome before solving the puzzle. All clues are disclosed on the game board to all players.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,815, issued to Sturtz on Oct. 23, 1979, describes a word-forming game. The game comprises a framed game board for holding a puzzle insert, clues associated with the puzzle, and lettered tiles for placement on the framed game board. There are 169 square spaces and 168 lettered tiles containing various numbers of individual letters. The first player to start the game is determined by drawing tiles and determining who has the closest letter tile to the letter “A”.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,126, issued to Coefield on Dec. 18, 1979, describes a crossword puzzle game. The game uses colored pencils for different players to write down answers and a timer to allot time within which clues must be solved. The solution to the puzzle is printed on the back of each puzzle. Points are assigned to each square in the crossword puzzle and are calculated at the end of the game based on color. Rules require players to answer one clue at a time with provisions being in place to allow players to complete the entire game or fill in uncompleted words during a players turn. The clues associated with the puzzle are displayed simultaneously to all the players.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,173, issued to Curtis et al. on Jun. 24, 1980, describes crossword puzzle game equipment. The equipment comprises a blank game board, a clue book and a puzzle pattern. The puzzle can be slid into the game board and the clue book corresponds to the spaces on the puzzle pattern. The clue book displays the entire set of clues for the game during the play session. The game can be played competitively by many people at one time by preparing and using several puzzle patterns at a single time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,578, issued to Wayman on Nov. 10, 1981, describes a crossword system and game apparatus. The system is use to create crossword puzzles. The game has a flat game board having a 15 by 15 grid, three classes of tiles marked with letters and possessing magnets to facilitate the movement of the tiles on the board. Individual spaces on the game board are designated as “V”, vowel, or “C” for consonant whereby only letter tiles being either a vowel or consonant will be placed within designed individual spaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,724, issued to Brzezinski et al. on Dec. 22, 1981, describes a board game apparatus. The games uses a board having an inner area made up of a grid used to form words from letter pieces and an outer area made up of a travel path used to accommodate movement of player pieces along a predetermined path, play money to record score, dice to control movement of player's and cards to record penalty and decide categories. The travel path has indicia that direct movement of play pieces and word-forming operations on the inner area.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,971, issued to Ferguson on Dec. 2, 1986, describes a crossword puzzle educational game. The game has a play surface comprising a plurality of segments of equal dimension surrounding a central segment used to create a large number of possible playing configurations. The play surface has a plurality of zones designating scoring areas thereby by providing incentive for players to fill in certain areas of the playing surface over other areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,595, issued to Sherman et al. on Jul. 25, 1989, describes a crossword puzzle game. The game comprises a game board, a puzzle sheet, a die and marking instruments. The die is used to determine the length of words that can be solved by the player and incorporated into the puzzle sheet upon one turn.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,807, issued to Lee et al. on Mar. 13, 1990, describes a board game for playing crossword puzzles. The game uses play pieces to travel around two continuous bands of squares around the periphery of the game board as controlled by dice and play cards. The game requires a pair of dice to be rolled to allow the play to land on a square that determine location, either across or down, and a number which specifies degree of difficulty and a number of a the clue that should be played from the play card. Then the player must correctly answer one of four clues displayed on a card in order to have the opportunity to place a word on the crossword puzzle and gain points.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,515, issued to Cohen on Jul. 27, 1993, describes a word-forming board game. The game uses playing pieces that are prescribed specific movement patterns, to travel along a board displaying letters and obtain the letters. The letters are ultimately used to form words. Points are awarded for each letter used in the formation of the word.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,118, issued to Barrett on Mar. 7, 1995, describes a crossword game board apparatus. The game board has two adjacent grids designated for use by individual teams. The teams start words using lettered markers in their designated grids. Each word must be at least five letters long and conjoin with another word on the board. Points are designated on each letter marker and can be doubled based on location on the game board. Letter markers can be traded if at least a five letter word cannot be constructed or upon the request of a low scoring opposing team.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,371, issued on Jul. 4, 1995 to Bledsoe, describes a word-based board game. The game has two play areas. The first area is a continuous path along the perimeter of the game board and the second area is a grid used to form words. The game uses play pieces that are controlled by the roll of a die. The play pieces move along the path of the first area to determine which letters to use to form words within the second area. Words can be spelled forward, backward, diagonally, vertically or horizontally.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,854, issued on Oct. 8, 2002 to McCarey, describes a puzzle-type game. The game uses a grid game board that is divided into four regions. Each region is designated for a particular player. Players enter words on their grids based on clues using only letter cubes disposed within their grid. When one player cannot make any further moves within their own grid they may complete entries in enemy zones. The game ends when no more entries can be made.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,300, issued on Dec. 10, 2002 to Harris et al., describes a board game. The game comprises a game board, letters disposed on the game board, play tokens used to move around on the game board, question cards divided by categories and game cards. Players roll the die to move the play tokens on the game board and land on a letter. The letter must be acquired to form words on the game cards, but the letters can only be won after correctly answering clues from the question cards.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0063386, published on May 30, 2002 to Harris et al., is the provisional application filing of the '300 U.S. Patent to the same patentees. The same points noted in the discussion of the '300 U.S. Patent are seen to apply here.
British Patent No. 2,193,898, published on Feb. 24, 1988, describes a board game that has a game board displaying a crossword grid. The grid is filled in with words formed by letter-bricks after answering individual clues carried on a clue card.
Finally, British Patent No. 2,356,153, published on May 16, 2001 to McCarey is the based upon the '854 U.S. Patent to the same patentee, described further above. The same points noted in the discussion of the '854 U.S. Patent are seen to apply here.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a crossword puzzle board game solving the aforementioned problems is desired.